If Wishes Were Horses
by Follow-ur-Shadow
Summary: Cameron is struck down by a mysterious illness and House struggles to deal with his emotions, as well as his inability to diagnose her. - Hameron
1. If You Fall?

**If Wishes Were Horses**

**Category:** Drama/Angst

**Pairing: **Hameron, House/Cameron

**Summary: **Cameron is struck down by a mysterious illness and House struggles to deal with his emotions, as well as his inability to diagnose her.

**Warnings: **One for an adult situation, a lot later in the story. If I don't chicken out of posting it :P For now i'll keep the rating at M just in case.

**Disclaimer: **Own nothing, nudda, zip!

**Author's Notes: **This is set sometime before the end of season five, includes mention of Amber but dismisses the final. For everyone who read my last fic Divide by Zero, this isn't a sequel nor is in any way related. Time for something fresh!

* * *

The cafeteria was abuzz with people collecting their lunch and Cameron sighed, staring at her own food with disdain. Not only did the sight make her want to gag but it seemed to aggravate the loud pounding in her head, causing her to wince. Everything hurt. Her chest, her throat... all in all, she felt like hell.

Feeling a tickle, she clenched her eyes shut as a sneeze shot out forcefully, followed by another and _another_...

Sniffing slightly, she wiped her hand along her scrubs, taking hold of her water bottle. It was an effort to get it open but she finally managed, downing the liquid and trying not to flinch as it came into contact with her raw throat.

Forcing down a few more sips, she recapped the lid throwing her head back and willing the ache in her muscles to subside. God she _hated_ being sick.

With another sigh she reluctantly sat up, throwing one more distasteful glare towards the salad that remained uneaten on her plate. Stomaching anything seemed all most impossible, but the doctor inside her knew the importance of staying hydrated and nourished, so she reluctantly picked up her fork and began stabbing at the leaves.

'Still not feeling better?'

Chase dropped his tray on the table and she snapped out of her daze, swallowing the nausea that rose in her throat as she shook her head.

'You should go home.' Taking a handful of chips, he raised an eyebrow concerned by the way she paled at the sight of his food, 'Seriously, you don't look so good.'

'I'm fine, it's just a cold.' She offered a small smile, dismissing the suggestion. Even though curling up in bed and sleeping it off sounded appealing, her shift was due to end in a little under two hours and she was determined to see it through. 'I'm out at three-thirty anyway.'

He nodded, recognizing the stubborn set of her voice. He'd been caught on the receiving end of that tone enough times to know there was not point arguing, however that didn't mean he couldn't try and subtlety persuade her.

'Okay, but if you need a lift or anything let me know. You need to rest up for the charity dinner in a few weeks.' He dug into his food, pretending not to remember how much she was secretly looking forward to the event. In truth, he was too. It was nice to get out once in a while, share drinks with his fellow colleagues.

Watching him scoff down his lunch, Cameron silently cursed remembering she'd forgotten to pick up her dress from the dry cleaners. She was meant to get it yesterday but being sick the task had completely slipped her mind.

Dropping her fork to the table, she rubbed the back of her neck resigned to the fact that attempting to do anything productive this week was pointless.

Chase looked up at the noise and she caught his gaze silently thanking him for the reminder and the offer to take her home. Though she doubted she would take him up on it, it was still a nice gesture given everything they'd been through the past couple of months.

'You think this is weird-' he took a sip from his drink as if reading her thoughts, 'I mean it's not that I don't like it, but _this_ is weird right? Given that we just broke up.'

Considering the statement, she fiddled idly with the label on her water bottle. Maybe eating lunch together _should_ have been weird but it wasn't. They'd separated nearly a month ago and the fact they managed to remain friendly was just another reason she'd mentally added to the list of reasons why they would have never work out.

She was comfortable with him, _loved_ him, but there was something missing... even the way they'd ended it; with a 2am agreement that they lacked a certain amount of chemistry, had been somewhat surreal. They had great sex, understood each other but he wanted her to be happy not just content. In his own words, there was a difference between being glad to see someone or feeling your heart flutter at the mere mention of them.

It reminded her of the time Foreman had asked whether or not she got butterflies around her then boss.

Frowning slightly at the thought, she sat up a little straighter in her chair, 'It's not weird.' she decided, deliberately pulling her mind away from House. That ship had sailed a long time ago, not that it had ever really docked. It majorly sucked that the only man she felt any kind of butterflies towards was a misanthropist, self righteous, bastard.

'Had any interesting cases?' Chase finished off the last of his chips, placing his hands on his stomach as he slouched back. Eating his food too quickly was a habit he was fast becoming accustomed to due to the fact he was constantly being called from lunch to do emergency surgeries.

She shook her head indicating a no and he opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the anticipated beeping at his side. Though it was somewhat of an annoyance at times, he couldn't help the rush of adrenaline he felt hearing the noise.

'Sorry gotta run.' He stood, briefly pausing to pat her shoulder, 'If you're not feeling better go home okay?'

She nodded, rolling her head to the side as he disappeared. Though she really ought to get back to work herself, finding the energy was proving difficult. Maybe he was right, maybe she should call it a day? It's not like the ER was flat out busy at the moment.

Reluctantly ignoring the thought, she grabbed her water bottle determined to make it to the end of her shift.

In the very least she could get ahead on some paperwork and failing that there was always an abundance of mail in House's office to be sorted. She could find _something _monotonous to keep her mind occupied, even if it was encouraging her former boss' bad habits.

Pulling away from the table, she took her half eaten salad giving it one last nauseated glare before tossing it away. Work, home and then sleep. Eating, for the moment, was definitely the farthest thing on her mind.


	2. If I fall, Don't Catch Me

Wilson stalked purposefully across the ground floor of the hospital, flicking through his latest patients file. It was a standard case; forty-five years old, female, smoker, family history of cancer. Squinting at the notes towards the bottom of the page, he was so engrossed he failed to notice the nurse buried in her clipboard and they collided roughly, sending both their work cascading to the floor.

'Doctor Wilson, I'm _so _sorry.' She was notably younger _and_ quicker, beating him to the scattered mess with ease. 'I wasn't looking where I was going.'

'It's fine,' he reassured her reaching down to help, 'I wasn't watching either.'

Gathering the last of his papers she slipped them inside the manila folder and smiled politely, handing it over. Though they hadn't officially been introduced, she'd heard about the doctor through the hospital grapevine and had to admit she was pleased to finally meet him. 'Call it even?'

'_Sure_.' He returned the smile and helped her to stand, surprised by the next words out of her mouth.

'If not... I could make it up to you with lunch?' She blushed slightly, hoping the invitation wasn't to forward. Though she didn't mind asking guys out she knew the devastating rumours regarding his last girlfriend to be true, and didn't want to push him.

Wilson hesitated slightly. The nurse, _Nicole..._he noted reading her name badge, seemed nice enough. She was certainly pretty enough, but he just wasn't sure he was ready. 'It's not that I don't-'

'It's fine.' She reached out, brushing his arm lightly. The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel awkward. 'I'll be around. If you change you're mind, you know where to find me.' With a gentle squeeze she let go, smiled, then returned her attention back to her clipboard.

He watched her leave feeling a small pang of regret. When he was ready to start dating again she was definitely going to be the first to know. In fact, maybe the only person to know... House would give him hell if he got wind of this.

Smirking slightly at the thought, he turned on his heel flipping open his case but before he got a chance to start re-reading it his gaze caught a familiar figure standing oddly motionless halfway up the stairs. Frowning slightly, he crossed the short distance closing the folder.

'_Cameron_?' He called up, waiting patiently for a response but after receiving no indication she'd even heard him, he took the steps two at a time reaching her with a gentle nudge, '_Allison_?'

Flinching at the contact, she turned sounding almost startled, 'Sorry, _what_?'

He stayed silent for a moment studying her features. She was pale, _incredibly _pale. All the colour had drained from her cheeks and her eyes were unfocused and glassy. He didn't need to be a doctor to know that something was definitely wrong.

'You look like hell, what's going on?'

Cameron swallowed the dryness in her throat, plastering on a fake smile. She should have known better than to take the stairs in her sick condition but aside from a little physical exertion there was nothing to worry about, she just needed to catch her breath.

'I'm fine really, it's just the flu.'

Wilson looked doubtful keeping his hand positioned lightly on her arm, 'Are you sure? Maybe you should sit down.'

She shook her head indicating that it wasn't necessary but the movement set off a wave of dizziness and her vision lurched, causing her to stumble. _'Woah, _I've got you_._' Wilson grasped her waist, concern filling his features, 'Come on, you should-'

'_Wilson_!' House's impatient voice greeted him from the bottom of the stairs, 'If you two love birds are done, I could use you for an actual _work_ related matter.'

Having regained her composure Cameron pulled back slightly from the man supporting her, 'It's okay, I'm fine. Go see what he wants.' She held the banister tightly, taking in a deep breath. For once she would've gladly accepted his help but it wasn't worth the aggravation of dealing with House.

'You sure?' Wilson felt anger bubble beneath his concern as she nodded and he reluctantly let her go, huffing down the steps. Though there were times he found House's jealousy somewhat amusing, this certainly wasn't one of them.

Coming face to face with the man in question, Wilson led him away making sure they were out of hearing distance before letting his frustration take over, 'That wasn't what it looked like, she's sick'

'_Really_?' House didn't look at all convinced by the excuse. 'Let me guess, she just happened to fall for seemingly no reason? And you just _happened_ to be there?'

'Believe what you want, it's _true_!' Clearly on the defensive, he would've protested more had a muffled cry not gained his attention. Turning to locate the source his eyes widened as they fell on Cameron's unconscious form at the bottom of the stairs.

Despite physical capabilities House reached her first and he scowled, kneeling down beside the pair. 'I _told_ you she was sick.'

'Or she's going to great lengths to keep your cover. Seriously, how much did you pay her?'

Though he'd never take the comment back he knew she wasn't faking and ran his hand along her neck checking for a pulse. Feeling it beating steadily beneath his fingers he moved further down making sure she hadn't cracked any ribs in the fall, grunting in annoyance at the people who had crowded to see what was going on. 'If you're done _staring_, a gurney would be useful!'

Wilson threw a sympathetic smile towards the concerned hospital staff as they dispersed but it quickly turned into a frown as his eyes landed back on Cameron. Her colour still hadn't returned and a faint bruise was starting to form on her forehead, contrasting against the pale skin. 'She must have knocked herself out on the way down.'

'_Really_? You think?' Satisfied nothing was broken House sat back up, reaching for his vicodin. Though the pain in his leg had been manageable for most of the day, the added strain of kneeling was causing it to seize up and he dry swallowed two pills, slipping the vile back into his jacket. 'If someone eventually gets their act together, have them bring her up to diagnostics.'

'_Why_?' Wilson watched him stand, sounding confused, 'It's just the flu. They can hook her up to an IV in emergency.'

'Are you kidding? They make enough noise in there to wake coma patients. I've thought about sending some down to test the theory but then I'd have nowhere to eat my lunch.' He started to turn but Wilson was quick, reading between the lines.

'You think there's something else wrong.'

It was a statement not a question but House dismissed it, not willing to risk being wrong until he was sure he was right. 'Don't be stupid. Of course it's the flu.'

Despite the unnecessary remark Wilson thought he saw a fleeting look of worry grace House's features before he limped away in the direction of the elevator. It was often hard to read his friends intentions, more so if they involved the women currently sprawled out in front of him, but he was sure this time the man was acting out of concern.

It would've been almost unsettling but he'd long suspected House was harboring a soft spot for the pretty doctor and he let out a sigh, wishing for once the man would drop his facade and quit being so stubborn.


	3. If I Asked You To Stay

Cameron woke slowly, wincing as her muscles protested the slight movement. Deciding to approach the situation methodically she took a deep breath forcing her eyes open, blinking repeatedly at the harsh lights that infiltrated her vision. They did little to help the pressure building against her temples but as she became more aware they started to dim, shifting things into focus.

Instinctively tugging her arm, she glanced down frowning at the IV that had been inserted and then extending her gaze further around the room she noticed House standing lazily by the window.

'Rise and shine sleeping beauty!' His fake exuberance met her ears, grating against her nerves, 'All though I must admit, you're not looking you're usual radiant self. Care to share?'

'It's the flu.' She muttered groggily, carefully pushing herself up. 'What happened?'

He limped over to the bed picking up her chart, knowing that as soon as she gathered herself together, it would be the first thing she'd go for. Keeping it at a safe distance he glanced over the results, despite the fact he already knew them back to front. 'Looks like you either fainted or decided to take up stair diving as a hobby. I'm guessing it's the former but correct me if I'm wrong.'

She flushed slightly, feeling embarrassed as the vague memory of passing out returned. 'It's _nothing_,' she protested, recalling the details, 'I was on my way to check a patients results, I just took the steps too fast, that's all.'

'Well congratulations, now you _are_ the patient.' He dropped her file on the chair, making sure it was still out of reach as he tapped his cane against the floor, '_Symptoms_?'

'House I don't need-'

'What are they?' He cut her off, sounding a little more persistent. Just because her blood work had come back clear it didn't mean they weren't missing something somewhere else. Physically fit people didn't just collapse after a couple of stairs whether they were sick or not.

Cameron sighed, realizing he wasn't going to let her leave until she complied and decided reluctantly to give him the information. 'Nausea, fever, joint pain and dizziness. All things that I bet have improved since you inserted a drip.'

House remained silent. She was right, her vitals had improved over the last half an hour but that still didn't completely alleviate his worry. After checking with the nurses in emergency he'd found out she'd had the flu for nearly a week and medically speaking she should be starting to feel better, not worse.

'_House_-'

It was obvious he was deliberating the facts in his mind and she reached across pulling the IV line out of her arm. She was tired, sick and the last thing she wanted to do was play guinea pig because he had no new patients. 'I'm sorry but the flu isn't an interesting case, I'm going home.'

He watched her, keeping his expression neutral as she gingerly eased her way out off the bed. There was no need for her to get changed given she was still wearing her pink scrubs but her sluggish movements told him there was no way she'd be able to drive herself home.

'I'll give you a lift.' He responded gruffly and her head shot up, meeting his eyes.

He looked awkward, indicating it was a sincere gesture and her heart fluttered silently waiting for the snide comment that usually followed... but it never came. Instead the door burst open and Chase's broad Australian accent filled the room, '_Hey_, how are you feeling?'

Offering a polite smile she wasn't surprised as House supplied an answer to his question, 'She's great, can't you tell? That's why she's in a hospital.'

'_Yeah_.' He rolled his eyes before dipping into his pocket and producing a set of keys, 'Thought you might like a ride out of here?'

Cameron resisted the urge to glance at House, instead mustering the strength to climb the rest of the way off the bed. She was actually considering declining the offer but as her feet reached the ground she wobbled slightly and Chase appeared wrapping his arm around her waist for support.

Deciding it would be rude to pull away, particularly as she needed him to stand, she reluctantly lent against his body ignoring House's gaze as it burnt into her. If she didn't know better she'd say he was acting almost jealous but the notion was absurd. He'd repeatedly expressed that he didn't have _those_ kinds of feelings towards her.

That said, she still felt a slight wave of guilt as Chase helped her across the room, leading them out into the corridor. She hadn't imagined it. Her former boss had offered to take her home first and part of her would've at least liked to acknowledge the fact.

The door swung closed behind them and House glanced down at his cane, letting out a slow breath.

Something was wrong with him. Ever since kissing Cuddy his emotions had been all over the place, opened up to the possibility of a relationship that he didn't have to _pay_ for and while he appreciated his boss' assets, she _wasn't_ the one his thoughts had been centering around. Sure she was attractive and he respected her, more so than most of the other idiots he was surrounded by, but their intimacy echoed history. Friends turned lovers, turned friends, turned lovers was messy and never worked out. All he had to do was look at Chase and Cameron to know that.

Scrubbing a hand across his face, he raised his head back up to the ceiling. Since their break-up had filtered down through the grapevine he hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, the whole thing was driving him _crazy._ Wondering _why_? What had happened? Was it over him?

He doubted very much that it was due to the latter part. In the rare times he'd offered Cameron drinks and dinner she'd declined, signaling she wasn't interested anymore. It shouldn't matter but the thought caused a small bubble of regret to expand in his throat, which he quickly swallowed.

They would never have worked anyway.

Keeping that thought firmly in mind he began limping in the direction of his office, resigned to the fact that mindless entertainment was on the agenda for the rest of the afternoon. If Cuddy wanted him down doing clinic duty, not only would she have to find him but she'd also have to drag him there kicking and screaming.

* * *

'Cameron, _hey_.' Chase nudged her arm from the side of the car, concerned that opening the door hadn't woken her. She'd fallen asleep only minutes into the trip and the fact he was having trouble rousing her did little to ease his worry. _'Allison, _come on_..._'

He breathed a small sigh of relief as she slowly started to stir, 'We here already?' she asked, tiredly rubbing her eyes and struggling to pull their surroundings into focus. Though she was feeling better her whole body was fatigued and moving seemed incredibly hard.

'Maybe I should crash here tonight, or I could take you back to mine?' He offered, seeing her make no attempt to get up. Obviously she was exhausted and he hated the idea of leaving her alone, despite the awkwardness it had the potential to cause. Eating lunch together was one thing but spending the night no matter how platonic the intention was, didn't exactly sit comfortably with him just yet.

'It's fine, I really am feeling better. Just tired.' Obviously she shared the sentiment because she climbed out of the car, signally an end to any further protests he might have made had she continued to stay seated.

Hitting the automatic lock button, he followed behind her keeping close in case she need any assistance. Despite the fact she was sick he knew she would never ask for help and as they started up the stairs he dropped his hand to the small of her back, silently offering his support. With little help she managed mostly on her own, pulling away from him as they reached the apartment to dig through her bag for her keys.

Latching on them she offered a small smile as she forced them into the door, 'Thanks for the ride.'

'You sure you don't want me to stay?' His eyes were filled with concern and after a moment of indecisiveness she stepped forward pulling him into a hug. It was a friendly gesture that conveyed reassurance and as they parted she could see him visibly relax.

'I'm sure but thanks for the offer.' She smiled again then turned pushing the door ajar, 'Night Robert.'

He watched her disappear inside feeling slightly regretful. He shouldn't be leaving her alone but while part of him wanted to insist he stay over, the rational side of him knew she wouldn't allow it.

She was a doctor too and he just had to trust that if she needed help, she'd call him.

* * *

**AN: Okay, so in the coming chapters I'm going to try and be as medically accurate as I can but given that I'm not a doctor there's going to be a bit of creative licensing used :P Hopefully I can make it as believable as possible. Thanks for all the reviews so far!**


	4. If Regret Was A Colour

Cameron heaved over the toilet bowl, trying to recall why she'd stupidly said no to Chase's offer to stay the night.

If she'd had the energy to think about it, she would've concluded that it hadn't really been anyone's fault. When he'd dropped her home she _had_ been feeling better. Sinking into a bath and opting for an early night she was confident she would be able to sleep off the worst of her illness but instead of waking up refreshed, she'd woken up to rolling waves of nausea and the mother of all headaches. Unable to pull herself away from the bathroom for longer than ten minutes at a time, she'd called in sick hoping the trips back and forth emptying her stomach would subside but even though she had nothing left inside her to throw up, the dry retching continued.

Gripping the sides of the bowl, she took in a deep breath as the room started to sway. This wasn't right. Whatever was going on, it had passed the point of being attributed to just the flu but despite her desperate attempts to try and figure out the cause, she couldn't think clearly enough to come up with an answer.

Sinking over the bowl again, her stomach lurched violently and she wiped the corner of her mouth, paling at the sight of blood in the tainted water. With shaky arms, she managed to pull herself up and stagger into the bedroom.

Each step caused a strange burning sensation to shoot up the side of her leg but despite the discomfort she didn't have the energy to check for a reason behind it. She felt like _hell_, collapsing onto the bed in a state of exhaustion.

Trying to ignore the loud pounding in her ears, she rolled over gritting her teeth against the pain the movement caused, dimly aware that she should go back to the hospital. Reaching out a clammy hand, she fought against the dizziness, barely able to grasp the mobile that lay beside her on the bedside table.

Instinctively hitting the speed dial, she no longer cared if House answered her with his condescending attitude. He was the first number programmed into her phone and she didn't think she was physically capable of trying anyone else.

* * *

House momentarily glanced away from his PSP to stare at the phone vibrating on his desk. Reluctantly pausing 'Night Of The Living Dead' he reached across glaring as he read the familiar name showing up on the caller ID.

_Try calling the wombat,_ he thought bitterly, throwing it back down so he could resume shooting zombies. The annoying buzzing ceased and he was silently relieved, until Wilson burst into his office a moment later.

'You heard from Cameron?'

House rolled his head to the side, keeping his eyes trained on the small screen in front of him. Wilson, as per usual, had _impeccable_ timing. '_Yep._' He responded half-heartedly, clearly more interested in the score he was achieving. 'She _just_ called.'

When he didn't comment further, Wilson placed his hands on his hips expectantly. He knew House wasn't nearly as dense as he pretended to be and he failed to understand why the man had to draw everything out. _'Well,_ how is she?' He pushed, wanting to get at least a partial answer, 'What did she say?'

'Dunno.' His thumb hit the fire button repeatedly, 'I didn't pick up'

'What, _Why_?' He shouldn't have been surprised by House's sudden change in attitude. Since Cameron had released herself against his advice he'd taken a very nonchalant approach to her well being but when he shrugged his shoulders, Wilson found his own concern pushing to the surface. 'You should call her back.'

'Yes _dad_.'

Despite the comment he made no move to stop playing the game and Wilson stepped forward, snatching the console out of his hands, _'Now._'

He sighed dramatically but with no other option reluctantly picked up the phone and hit the redial button. When it rang out the first time he remained calm, mainly for appearance sake but his stomach dropped when she failed to answer after another two attempts.

Slipping the phone into his pocket, he reached for his cane ignoring the way Wilson was watching him.

'Where are you going?'

'Where do you _think_?' He raised an eyebrow as if it was obvious, 'I'm going round there.'

Once again, Wilson wasn't phased by his unpredictable nature. He was used to House acting like he didn't care one minute then showing concern like an actual human being the next, but while he never knew which side to expect, he was starting to see a pattern emerging around Cameron.

House seemed even less in control when it came to her, shifting his emotions all over the place.

'I can drive you?' He suggested, wondering if the man would take him up on the offer but House shook his head, indicating an emphatic no. It didn't matter how sick Cameron was she'd still kick his arse if he arrived with a parade of people to check up on her.

Leaving Wilson behind in his office, he limped out into the hall resisting the urge to snap as Foreman rounded the corner nearly knocking him over.

'I was right.' He waved a meaningless piece of paper in his hand, sounding slightly out of breath, 'Tests all point to TB.'

House rolled his eyes, having temporarily lost interest in the case his team had been assigned to. 'Start him on a dose of rifampicin and if that doesn't work switch to isoniazid.' He sidestepped around the man, ignoring the way his arms flew up at the dismissal.

'What? _That's it_? Two hours ago you were calling me stupid for even suggesting TB now you think I'm right?'

'Where did you get your medical degree, in a cereal box!? House raised his cane in an overly dramatic fashion, feeling frustrated. If he disagreed he was an arrogant bastard, if he _agreed _everyone assumed he was being condescending. Eventually they'd work out for themselves that they were dealing with a case of pertussis or as it was more commonly known, whooping cough.

'If you think you're right start him on the drugs. If he dies then I guess you were wrong.'

Foreman glanced down at the results in his hand, overcome by the sudden feeling he was missing something. When House gave in easily it was usually because he was trying to guilt a different answer out of his team.

Switching his gaze back to the man, he eyed him suspiciously, 'You know what it is.'

Dropping his cane back to the floor House turned on his heel sharply, throwing a hint back over his shoulder, 'Find out if he's been to Canada lately?' Canada was the only industrialised country that still had severe outbreaks, if his team couldn't put two and two together then they deserved a law suite hanging over their heads.

'_Canada_?' Foreman muttered the word, trying to figure out the clue when he realized House was headed towards the elevator. 'Wait, where are you going?'

'_Away_.' He kept walking, deliberately keeping his gaze averted. 'When you eventually figure it out, _don't_ call me.'

Apparently his actions were enough to dissuade any further comment because he was met with silence, save for the echo of his cane against the tiled floor. Reaching the elevator, he threw the rubber end towards the button, pressing the down arrow and waiting less than patiently for the doors to open.

He was worried.

While he'd never admit it out loud he was cursing himself for being so childish and ignoring Cameron's first call.

If anything had happened to her...

He instantly dismissed the thought, berating himself for the unusual amount of concern he was giving to the situation. If anything happened it was her own damn fault for leaving the hospital against his advisement.

The doors pinged open and he stepped inside, tapping his cane impatiently against the close button. It didn't matter who he subconsciously laid the blame on, or how he tried to paint his feelings on the matter because his body was acting instinctively.

He needed to settle the physical urge to make sure she was okay, then he could spend hours denying the _why_.


	5. If Simple Came In Ribbons

House banged impatiently on Cameron's door, feeling his worry slide into frustration as the lock clicked softly.

Nearly ten minutes had passed since his arrival, which had been spent conjuring up worst case scenarios to explain why his knocking wasn't receiving any attention. It was in his pessimistic nature to assume the worst but the fact he could make out her soft shuffling behind the door indicated she was clearly capable of answering and his anger rose feeling stupid for jumping to conclusions.

When she finally emerged, he opened his mouth ready to demand answers but the sight of her made him stop cold.

She looked like crap. Maybe it wasn't a 'technical term' but her sickly stance warranted sympathy from even _his _gruff persona, especially given her obvious decline from the last time they'd spoken. Yesterday her face, while barely a shade above the sheets, had been at least bordering on healthy. Now it was flushed red, covered with perspiration and her eyes were hauntingly sullen, surrounded by dark circles.

He could barely hold her gaze as she struggled to focus on him, blinking against the bright lights in the hall. "_House_?" She asked, sounding confused, "What are you doing here?"

"You called me, _why_?" He tapped his cane, feeling annoyed by his concern. If she was sick she should go to her own doctor. He didn't do house calls, least of all did he get worried over a case of the flu.

"I _don't_-" Cameron's voice was unnervingly breathless as she answered, "I don't... remember."

Despite his reservations, the struggled response was enough to keep him firmly grounded. As much as he wanted to believe it was just a persistent bug, the way she held herself against the door both worried and fuelled his initial instincts that something else was wrong.

Frowning, he eyed her carefully. "You don't remember calling me or what you wanted?"

She shook her head slightly, indicating both and all thoughts of leaving officially vanished from his mind. Given her current condition; memory loss, obvious fever, muscle weakness, she should be back in the hospital undergoing more tests.

Squaring his shoulders he put on his best authoritative voice. "You're coming back with me, no arguments."

Cameron didn't protest as she backed unsteadily inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. Another reason only adding to his worry. Yesterday she'd stubbornly fought against remaining in the sterile environment but now she seemed almost oblivious to his demands.

Letting out a low sigh, he glanced around the hall hoping for something to hold his attention while he waited for her to return, but the task was abandoned as a coughing fit erupted from inside her apartment.

"Cameron?" He hesitated, waiting for it to subside before gently pushing the door the rest of the way open. "Bringing up a lung isn't going to solve the problem."

She didn't respond and he stepped forward, catching her outline in the dimly lit room. Obviously she was still struggling to catch her breath because her arms were pushed heavily against the counter top, maintaining her balance.

Straining to see more, he squinted through the darkness, finding the light switch and with a quick flick of the wrist he was able to properly take in her frail form. It was an unsettling sight but nothing compared to the tightness that grew in his chest upon seeing her finger tips speckled with blood.

The doctor inside him absorbed the momentary panic, trying to fit everything together. She hadn't been coughing in the hospital, which meant it was unlikely the bleeding was due to a scratch or tear in the throat. It could be internal bleeding but that didn't make any sense. Racking his brain for answers, he was so engrossed he nearly missed her starting to sway.

"_Damnit!"_He cursed, dropping his cane and stumbling towards her. Though she wasn't heavy, his leg protested at having to support her weight and he shifted them both to the couch, resting her head in his lap. It was an awkward position but despite the inconvenient pain throbbing in his thigh, his hand slipped straight passed the vicodin in his pocket, reaching instead for his phone.

When the operator on the other end picked up, he hastily snapped all the necessary information not waiting for the standard advice they were required to give out. He was a doctor, he knew the spiel and also what to do. Dropping the device back down on the table, he gently brushed the side of her face, trying to rouse her.

She was warm under his touch but the fact she had a fever didn't dispel any theories, if anything it only widened the possible causes.

Glancing around the room, he took a deep breath raking his hand through his hair. Until they reached the hospital there was nothing further he could do and he gave up, reaching in and popping the cap on his vicodin. Swallowing two of the pills, Cameron's soft moan caused him to drop the vile and he ignored the clatter of pills as they spread over the table.

"_Hey!_ No time for sleeping." Her head lolled slightly in response and he grasped it firmly, being careful not to hurt her. "Cameron, come on. Stay with me."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recognized the familiar voice and slowly managed to peel her eyes open, "_What..._?" Her voice croaked as she swallowed dryly, "_House_?"

Ignoring the panic knotted in his stomach he tried to focus on keeping her conscious, "You're sick. Relax, the ambulance is on it's way." Worrying wasn't going to help the situation, he needed to keep her talking.

"Do you know where you are, what day it is?" Visibly blanching at the cliché'd questions he decided to try again, "Better yet, how about a pin number? ATM, credit card?"

"What's wrong… with me?" She breathed out the question, and he found it increasingly harder to remain distracted from her condition. He had no idea what was wrong and for the first time in the history of his being a doctor he didn't care. _This _was why he didn't visit patients, why he refused to get personally attached. It blocked his ability to think, to perform and when lives were at stake he couldn't afford that.

_Cameron_ couldn't afford that.

"You're sick, pay attention and keep up." He snapped the response feeling almost guilty as her eyes registered a brief flash of hurt, but he quickly dismissed it. She didn't need him to be nice, she needed him to do his job. "Who have you treated recently? Anyone contagious?"

She shook her head indicating there were no unusual cases but the movement caused her to cough violently, spreading black dots across her vision.

"Breathe." House instructed, raising her back to help with the airflow.

Cameron instinctively grasped his hand squeezing it with surprising strength given her weakened state, before the fit eventually subsided and she collapsed against him. Grinding his teeth together, House fought the feeling of helplessness that washed over him.

They were going to fix this, they had to.

_He_ had to.


	6. If An Elephant Went Up The Stairs

House glanced at his team spread out around the large table in diagnostics, regarding each member individually. They were supposedly 'the best' hand picked by himself but the fact it was Cameron they were discussing, left his confidence wavering in their ability. Several hours ago they couldn't even diagnose a simple case of whooping cough.

Swallowing his doubt, he turned towards the whiteboard hoping in the very least their input would give him some ideas. "Okay people," His marker squeaked across the surface as he wrote down Cameron's symptoms. "Fever, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, coughing blood and memory loss. What have we got?"

"It's _not _the flu." Chase tilted his head slightly towards Foreman and Thirteen, working through the process of elimination. "But when you put the drip in after she fainted, her vitals improved."

"Not this time." Wilson entered the room, catching the last of Chase's words. He'd just received Cameron's test results and while she was stable, her vitals showed no improvement since inserting an IV line.

Sliding the file across the table, he stepped back shaking his head towards House's questioning gaze as Chase caught the folder. Flipping it open, he sounded discouraged as he began reading through the new information. " Her stats are holding but blood work shows disseminated intravascular coagulation."

"Explains the coughing blood."' Taub raised an eyebrow, not sure whether that was a good or a bad thing. While it meant nothing had ruptured, it also left a wider spectrum of illnesses to explore.

House turned, writing down DIC before dividing the board up into two sections. Changing pens, he let the green marker hover over the left hand side. "So, causes of disseminated intravascular coagulation?"

"Meningitis." Foreman stated the first obvious choice, taking the folder off Chase. Skimming through the words he noticed no mention of neck pain or a rash in her file and since they were the two most prominent symptoms occurring with the disease, he quickly dismissed the idea.

"It could be Aspergillosis?" Thirteen peered over her boyfriends shoulder, taking in the notes herself and House nodded considering the suggestion. Though it was unlikely it did explain the coughing, fever and difficulty breathing.

Jotting it down on the board, he also added Malaria Mediastinitis and a Histoplasmosis Infection to the list. "Okay, what else?"

Wilson pushed his weight lightly against the back of a nearby chair, lowering his head. "Aggressive cancer, lungs, pancreas and stomach." Being a disease from his field of medicine he knew they were three types common with DIC.

Chase rolled his head in frustration at the sheer number of bacterial diseases that came to mind. "Gram-negative sepsis, so... Legionella, Bronchopneumonia and Salmonella."

The board was steadily filling up and House started mentally preparing a list of tests. They needed to work quickly but he wanted to cover all areas so they didn't miss anything. "Do a chest x-ray, stomach biopsy, screen for lung cancer and I want as many tissue samples tested as possible."

"Shouldn't we at least wait for the viral results before we start testing for cancer?" Wilson knew the importance of finding a diagnosis but he was worried about the strain it would cause on Cameron's body. If it was an aggressive cancer that had progressed this far without attention then her chance of surviving fell into the five percent range. The tests would be too little, too late.

House recapped the marker he was holding, dropping it on the edge of the whiteboard. Cancer wasn't his speciality but he knew what Wilson was saying and turning back to his team, he nodded his head slightly. "Hold of on the lung screening and the biopsy. The tests are boring anyway."

The sound of chairs scrapping met his ears as they rose from the table and he sighed, flashing his gaze towards Wilson who had remained behind. "_What_?"

"It's okay-" He started hesitantly, flicking his fingers against the back of the chair. To the untrained eye House seemed unfazed by the fact they were treating someone so close to home but the lines of worry etched firmly around his frown told a different story. "You're allowed to care. This isn't just some patient we're talking about, it's Cameron."

'_Thanks_, I was just hanging out for your approval to sit around and cry.' House turned on his cane, brushing off the comment and limping towards his desk. He didn't need a reminder of who they were dealing with, the memories from her apartment were more than enough to keep him from forgetting.

Moving through the glass doorway, he sat down annoyed as Wilson followed him. Now wasn't the time for all his psychoanalyzing bullshit. "Shouldn't you be down there keeping an eye on her vitals anyway?"

"Funny, I thought that was your job." Wilson took the chair opposite him, deciding to try an be a little less direct. After admitting her, House had insisted on being the lead physician on Cameron's case but in typical fashion he'd taken a more hands off approach, choosing to delegate instead. Wilson knew it was a safeguard; trying to keep his distance so he wouldn't get hurt but as arrogant and egocentric as he was, House was a brilliant diagnostic. They couldn't afford to lose his expertise because he was hiding, locked up in his office.

"You know you could go see her," he suggested lightly.

"_Why_?" House raised an eyebrow as if it was the most ridiculous idea he'd ever heard. "Unless she's divulging interesting facts while she's unconscious there's not really much point. Maybe I should check with Chase to see if she sleep talks?"

Wilson let his head sag to the side, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm just saying it wouldn't hurt."

"_Hmmm_..." House pretended to think about it. "Given she's into me, Chase might take it the wrong way. Maybe _you_ should ask?"

Sensing the line of conversation was going nowhere, Wilson pushed himself out of the chair knowing there was no point in continuing it. Trying to get through was pointless and despite House's lack of sentiment over the matter, he was right. _Someone_ should be keeping an eye on Cameron's vitals.

"I'll let you know if we find anything."

'You do that.' House watched him leave, inwardly flinching as the door slammed shut. He didn't understand why, of all people, Wilson was the one to get angry when he put on his less than caring face. He didn't do emotions, didn't _like_ talking about them because that meant on some level he had to deal with them. Cameron was-

He shook his head, unable to even comprehend the thought.

She was sick, that was all that mattered.

Tearing his gaze to the ceiling, he scrubbed a hand across his face trying to fit together the pieces. She hadn't been out of the country, hadn't even been out of the city which suggested a bacterial disease. It was possible she'd caught something from the hospital but if it was viral then it would be contagious and either himself or at least Chase would be showing symptoms as well. Whatever it was it had hit her hard, and much to his dismay, fast.

It had been just over twenty-four hours since she'd first collapsed and they were running out of time.

Swallowing the lump nestled in his throat, he flicked his wrist towards the PSP that sat on his desk. He needed to keep his mind occupied while he waited for the test results came back, until then any differential he made was pointless.

Switching on the device he frowned as the colours lit up the screen, making him feel uneasy. Usually they lulled him into a sort of comforting, monotonous routine but this time the action caused a premature wave of regret. What if something happened while he was waiting, what if she coded while he was playing some _stupid_ game? Maybe Wilson was right, maybe he should go down there.

Shaking the thought from his mind, he turned up the volume, trying to immerse himself in the distraction. Seeing her would only stir his desire to find answers, cause him to try too hard. He needed to remain focused, stay detached.

For both their sakes.


	7. If Time Stopped For Corners

Wilson hovered by Cameron's door, staring down at the results in his hand. He'd reluctantly offered to do a biopsy when her tests hadn't revealed anything and while he was relieved she didn't have cancer, it meant they were still no closer to figuring out what was making her so sick.

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, he entered the room glancing the man beside her bed. "How's she doing?"

Foreman sat up, acknowledging him tiredly, "We started her on a new lot of antibiotics but her stats are still dropping."

Wilson nodded, flicking his gaze towards her unconscious form. So far they'd been airing on the side of caution administrating drugs that they hoped wouldn't aggravate her condition but if she didn't start showing improvement soon, they would have to up the treatment. "How long has it been?"

"About..." Foreman tilted his wrist, glancing down at his watch, "twenty minutes."

Checking the time for himself, Wilson jotted it down on the piece of paper he was holding.

Unfortunately the next step was giving her a cocktail of drugs to try and figure out what worked through a process of elimination, an action he was hesitant to start. There was no guarantee it would work and the effects could end up being detrimental to her vital organs, not to mention then there was the matter of informing House. While dishing out drugs was his forte, he tented to be a little irrational when it came to dosages and given it was Cameron they were treating, Wilson had no idea what to expect from the man.

"Why don't you take a break?" He moved, replacing the file at the end of the bed with the one he was holding. "I'll watch her for a while."

Foreman nodded, grateful for the offer. As much as he appreciated a break from running tests, he found it easier to stay motivated if he was actually doing something. "Do we tell House?" He asked, standing up.

Wilson moved passed him, taking the vacant chair and shaking his head. Eventually they would have to but he wanted to hold off for as long as possible, at least until the new drugs were given a chance. "Not yet. If the antibiotics don't have any effect in the next hour I'll go up and see him."

Letting out a short breath, Foreman was silently relieved he wasn't going to be the one to have to deliver the news. No one had seen or heard from House since their meeting earlier in the day and they deliberately hadn't gone looking, too scared by what they might find.

"I'll be in the labs. Chase is re-running the tests for anomaly's..." He crossed the room, indicating he was going to help and Wilson felt a wave of sympathy as the door closed.

No one was willing to admit it but running the tests again was a waste of time. They were grasping at straws, desperately trying to avoid feeling helpless and Chase was being hit the hardest. It was obvious he felt guilty for not keeping a closer eye on Cameron and even though rationally no one could lay the blame with him, Wilson suspected House had been the one to fuel the fire. The man was nothing if not pedantic at flawing other people and it was just a shame he couldn't apply that logic to himself at times.

"What's wrong with you Cameron?" He slouched forward, letting the words fall out as a whisper.

There had to be something they were missing. All the tests indicated the illness had originated from the flu and they could pinpoint the more severe symptoms starting to manifest in the last twelve hours but short of that they had nothing.

With a sigh he glanced towards the oxygen mask secured over her face, another deterioration he'd managed to keep from House. While she could still breathe on her own, he hadn't wanted to risk putting her under too much strain after the biopsy and he'd hoped the assistance might allow her body to react more quickly to the drugs. Clearly it wasn't helping. The antibiotics should have brought down her fever or in the very least kept her stable but instead everything was shutting down.

Tearing his gaze down to his watch, he wondered if he should wait the whole hour before calling House. Having been left out of the loop he was bound to be angry but with no new information and nothing concrete to go on, Wilson stood by his actions.

The distant sound of shouting interrupted his thoughts and his head snapped up, alerted to the possibility that the decision had unfortunately been made for him. Sure enough, as the noise grew closer, his assumptions were confirmed.

House had run into Foreman, who had spilled the beans.

Sitting up, he mentally prepared himself as the door burst open, "Why the hell didn't you tell me she was having trouble breathing!"

"Because the last time we spoke you didn't seem all that interested." Wilson shot back, feeling slightly guilty as a look of regret flashed across House's features. Clearly some part of him felt bad but it only lasted a few seconds before the remorse was gone, replaced by a cooler exterior.

"Where are we at?" He picked up the file from the foot of her bed and Wilson reluctantly filled him in.

"Test results told us nothing so we went ahead and did a stomach biopsy but it was negative for cancer.'

The clipboard faltered in his hand slightly, "_Lungs_?"

Wilson shook his head. "All clear."

"So no cancer, not really a surprise there." House secured the file back in it's place and began pacing back and forth. There was only one thing he hadn't completely dismissed and though it wasn't likely, it was their only option. "It has to be aspergillosis."

Even though some of the syptoms did fit, Wilson couldn't support the dianosis. "Do you know how rare that is in humans and besides the chest x-rays didn't show-"

"Then we do a CT scan!" House interjected, sounding frustrated. Despite the fact no one had bothered to call him, it was clear they were running out of time and options. "Or we can just start her on voriconazole and see what happens."

"If it's not aspergillosis, then the side effects of voriconazole will mask her symptoms." Wilson stood up, remembering why he was so hesitant about revealing the seriousness of Cameron's condition, "Not to mention it could seriously damage her liver."

"Then run the CT scan!"

"House it's not-"

An alarm started beeping and he turned, completely forgetting about their argument as House pushed passed him, '_Get a nurse_, she's seizing!'

Wilson didn't hesitate, running out the door as House brought his hand down on the emergency call button, resisting the urge to panic. Someone should have told him she wasn't responding to treatment. If they had, he would've been down here an hour ago and already had her in for the damn CT scan.

"_Idiots!" _He cursed glancing towards the hall, trying desperately to keep his gaze averted. He'd assisted with hundreds of seizures before but never had he experienced such a strong nauseated feeling like the one churning in the pit of his stomach.

Swallowing the bile that rose up in his throat, he called out over the alarm that was still resonating around the room, "WILSON!"

"Diazepam, ten miilagrams." Wilson flew back into the room handing House a needle which he took, biting off the cap before injecting it into Cameron's upper arm. After a few moments her body stopped convulsing and he stumbled back, dropping the empty syringe on the table beside him.

"_House-"_ an edge of worry tinged Wilson's voice as he stepped forward, taking out a pen light from his jacket pocket. Hovering over Cameron he checked her responses, ignoring the panic that started to swell when she didn't react to the light being shone into her eyes.

House glanced at the stats being recorded on the monitor and with another sickening twist in his gut, realized what was wrong.

Wilson caught his worried gaze, slipping the pen back in his pocket. "She's in a coma."

"No _shit_."

Grabbing his cane roughly, House slammed it into the wall barely flinching as the contact cracked the plaster. The destruction was almost therapeutic and he turned, forcefully opening the door before ramming it closed.

Wilson winced as the action caused a few more flakes of paint to spiral to the ground.

This wasn't good.

For the first time House was actually showing a shred of emotion towards something but if he cracked under the pressure then Cameron lost her best chance at pulling through. If House _lost_ Cameron...

He didn't even even want to think about the irreparable damage it would cause.


	8. If Yesterday Held Tomorrow's Answers

House swung a full circle in his chair then went back the other way, repeating the process. It was a useless action, one that certainly wasn't helping him gain any more clarity on Cameron's situation but he couldn't bring himself to stop the motion.

Usually when a solution evaded him, he engaged in mindless entertainment letting his mind wander further and further away from the problem. Nine times out of ten the answer would come back and slap him in the face but this time was different. Even though it was late and there were countless cheesy shows to immerse himself in, he was too scared to let his thoughts drift for even a moment.

Cameron needed a diagnosis now, not in two days when his brain finally decided to play catch up.

Flicking his wrist, he stopped spinning to glance at the stack of files strewn across his desk; Cameron's latest patients. He'd been over them a dozen times, knew the information back to front but he was bordering on desperate. Watching her slip into a coma had well and truely rammed home just how serious her condition had become. People died. Just because she registered on his radar, it didn't mean she was exempt from that fact.

Reaching across, he picked up the pile flicking through hastily. Most of them were standard emergency cases; broken arm, dislocated knee, chicken pocks, head injury. There was nothing to-

He stopped, eyes landing on the last case. It was one he'd previously disregarded, deeming it irrelevant but his mind started racing wondering if maybe he'd been a little quick to dismiss it.

"Cameron's stable but-" Wilson burst into the office, pausing as he caught the look on House's face. Though the man was usually unreadable, he'd learnt to identify when House was close to diagnosing a patient. "Please tell me you know what is it?"

House dropped the folder, grabbing his cane. "The last patient she saw was in for severe anaphylactic shock. What if little Hair Mclairy hitched a ride?"

Wilson frowned in confusion as House limped passed him towards the door. It wasn't unlike the man to reach for ideas but this one seemed a little too outside the box, even for him. "Hairy Mclairy was a _dog _and besides Cameron's not allergic to spiders."

"She doesn't have to be." House reluctantly stopped short of the hall to explain his theory, "If her immune system was down because of the flu then the venom would have gotten an all access free-ride. It explains why she's deteriorating so quickly.'

'The chances of that-' The door swung shut cutting him off but he wasn't prepared to let the matter drop. House was acting out of desperation and while that sometimes lead to his best work this time it was obviously a cause for distraction.

Wasting no time Wilson followed after the man, catching him at the elevator. "I understand this is hard-" he flinched as House rammed the button with his cane, "but if we don't find out what's causing this in the next few hours, her body's going to shut down."

"I _know _that!" House snapped, well aware of the harsh reality. He knew what was at stake and he wasn't just making whimsical guesses, the symptoms fit. His only mistake was being so preoccupied with the fact it was Cameron, he'd failed to see what was right under their noses.

The elevator pinged open and he moved inside sounding defensive, "In case you forgot I'm a doctor too and I deal with this type of thing everyday, more than you do in Cancer land."

Angered by the fact House was unwilling to even consider the idea was wrong, Wilson slammed his hand out as the doors closed, hitting the emergency stop button. They remained stationary and he stepped in front the control panel, blocking it's access.

"You need to stop this." He waved an arm hoping to further his point. "I get that acting irrational is your thing but you need to at least stay in the ball park. We should call the others, see what we've eliminated and then find out whats left."

For a split second House almost conceded. Despite his confidence in the diagnosis part of him still had doubts. This wasn't just some patient, an unknown family he'd have to explain his failure to, this was Cameron. _He_ was the one that would have to live with the consequences. The thought was nearly enough to persuade him to play it safe but ultimately he couldn't ignore his gut instincts.

"I know what's left it's, _Loxoscelism_." He slipped his cane passed Wilson and pressed the button, resuming their ride. Maybe it was a long shot but he had a feeling and it was that exact intuition that had led him to be a world renowned diagnostic. If his judgement was wrong, if it led to the worst occurring then it didn't matter if his record was tarnished because he knew with certainty, he wouldn't be returning to the job.

The elevator reached it's destination and the doors opened, revealing the hall to Cameron's room. "You coming?" He raised his eyebrows towards Wilson, who reluctantly followed him out.

"If it was a spider, there would have been a bite. We would have seen it."

House ignored the comment as they walked the short distance to her room and once entering he went straight for the clipboard at the foot of the bed. "Here," he flipped through the pages finding the note he was looking for, "a blister on her right foot."

Handing over the information he moved to free Cameron's leg from the blanket while Wilson shook his head at the minute detail, "It's probably from her shoes. I'm surprised they even wrote it down."

Placing the clipboard on the side of the bed he joined House, unable to keep the shock out of his voice as they uncovered her foot. The blister was no longer distinguishable surrounded by at least four centimeters of infected tissue. "You were right."

"Apology accepted." House glanced briefly towards the steady beep of Cameron's heart monitor. Usually he would've made a bigger deal over they fact he'd made the correct diagnosis but he was more preoccupied with reversing the effects of the bite. "We need to up the dose of heparin and start her on cyproheptadine and antivenom."

Wilson nodded, indicating he'd be back with the necessary drugs and House tiredly lowered himself in the seat opposite Cameron. Under normal circumstances his job would've been done. He didn't like to interact with patients, rarely cared about how their lives were affected after they left the hospital and the only satisfaction he got from seeing them recover was the fact he'd solved another case.

Letting out a sigh he slouched forward, resting his elbows against his knees.

These weren't normal circumstances. He _needed_ Cameron to be okay for reasons he couldn't even begin to contemplate, something he was momentarily glad for. The fact they might be too late was causing a rush of anxiety, tipping him off balance and he needed to remain focused.

Glancing up at her monitor he cringed as the numbers fluctuated under his scrutiny but the steady sound being emitted reassured him until Wilson returned with a nurse, holding a cup of pills and a syringe.

House went straight for the antivenom, injecting it into the upper region of her chest and Wilson watched in confusion as he started doing chest compressions. "What are you doing?"

"Her BP's dropping.' He continued the motion, knowing they didn't have what little time Wilson had threatened him with in the elevator. "That couple of hours you were hoping for _not_ going to happen."

The steady beeps of Cameron's heart monitor drew closer together, causing Wilson to flinch. He knew what House was doing made sense. By pumping the heart faster it was allowing the antivenom to spread through her blood more quickly but he was worried about the strain it would cause on her body.

"Doctor Wilson?" The nurse beside him quietly questioned House but he nodded slightly, defending the action. "It's okay, let him go." For a moment he didn't breathe, his eyes glued to the stats jumping up all over the place.

If House was successful then her chances of reacting to the drug nearly doubled but the alternative was sending her into cardiac arrest and it was a risk he wasn't sure they should be taking.

"_House_?"

"I know, give it a minute." He continued pressing against her chest, ignoring the hesitation in Wilson's voice. He knew how stubborn she could be, he'd witnessed it on more than one occasion and she could handle it, all she needed to do was fight.

The beeping grew more erratic and he cursed. _F__uck_ being detached, he wasn't letting her go, 'Damnit, come on Cameron!'

_'House_!' Wilson was prepared to intervene when the pulse from the heart monitor evened out to a steady beat, stopping him in his tracks. It was working. He squeezed his eyes shut, stepping forward to place a hand on House's shoulder as he backed away from the bed. "You okay?"

"_Peachy_." House drew in a shaky breath and they both knew it was a lie.

He wasn't okay and he wouldn't be until Cameron was responding to the treatments and out of the woods.

Despite his instinct to stay, a stronger more suffocating feeling took over and House reached for his cane needing to put as much distance between the small hospital room and himself as possible. The two remaining occupants in the room could handle the rest, his job was done.

Without so much as a glance behind him, he limped in to hall and even though the thrall of a dark room with a bottle of scotch was calling, he couldn't bring himself to leave the premises and made his way to the small balcony outside his office instead.

Everything was encased in twilight signalling an early dawn and he hooked his cane over the rail, letting the brisk air clear his mind.

That was close, _too_ close.

His fingers trembled as they closed around the vicodin in his pocket, fully aware that he shouldn't be feeling so physically effected. Cameron was a colleague, at a push friend but either way he could live without her. Live without seeing her everyday, live without that annoying smug smile, live without her differentials... she really was the only one of his team, ex and current, who was ever useful... but that aside, if it came down to it, he _could_ live without her.

Stuffing two pills in his mouth, he visibly flinched at the thought.

It sounded great in theory but the reality of losing her was unfathomable because even though he hid it behind crude remarks and insults, he actually liked her. It had taken time but she'd managed to do what so many other aspiring doctors under his supervision had failed at.

She'd learnt from him.

Most became fed up, quit or got fired but she had managed to rise to the challenge, meet him at every turn and also grow from the process. Not only that but she'd also somehow managed to take on his less favourable traits and turn them into endearing qualities.

He liked her, everything about who she'd become and he was only just starting to realize it.

* * *

**AN: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! :0) I know it's not all technically correct but hopefully the big scary medical words make it a little easier to pretend :P**


	9. If Sleeping Stopped The World

An hour passed before the sliding door finally drew House's gaze from the hospital grounds. Assuming it was Wilson with news on Cameron he turned around, surprised to find Chase standing hesitantly behind him.

"She's stable." The Australian doctor shoved his hands firmly into his pockets. He found interacting with his former boss almost awkward at times but there was a reluctant urge to express his gratitude that he couldn't quite shake.

Squaring his shoulders, he nodded his head slightly. "Thank you."

"Well, I wasn't about to let her _die _even though a day in lue of a funeral would've gotten us all out of clinic duty." Despite his relief, House's voice was thick with sarcasm. It was his job to diagnose patients not get all sentimental afterwards and he really didn't feel like having a warm and fuzzy with a man he couldn't tolerate at the best of times.

Casting his gaze back over the edge of the balcony, he blatantly ignored the look Chase shot him.

"You know it wouldn't kill you to show a little bit of compassion."

Receiving no answer to the statement, Chase realized there was no point pushing him further. If House wanted to sulk, fine. He was more than happy to go back to Cameron without the snarky comments following him every step of the way.

Turning on his heel, he was about to leave when House called out haulting the movement, "If she comes out of the coma, tell her she owes me one."

Despite his resolve the remark caused a wave of anger to surge through him. He recognised that tone, the one that signaled House had ended his involvement in a case and he was fed up with it. For whatever reason Cameron had a soft spot for the insensitive doctor and as hard as it was, he owed it to her to at least try and respect that. House on the other hand, whether Cameron was present or not, had no right to treat her as if she meant nothing just because he was incapable of dealing with his feelings.

Turning back around he couldn't stop the hot words on the tip of his tongue, "You don't deserve her."

House ripped his gaze back to Chase surprised by his unusually confident stance. "Excuse me?"

"_Allison_, you don't deserve her." Chase made the statement again, furthering his point, "But she sees something in you that nobody else does. Stop being a jackass, figure out exactly what it is and maybe you'll stand a chance."

"Do me a favor," House narrowed his eyes, subconsciously curling his fingers together, "Take your newly acquired backbone and use it on someone who won't beat the crap out of you."

Chase felt his anger waver in response to the warning. He'd been on the receiving end of House's violent streak before and had learnt when to back down. Without another word he silently made his way to the door, sliding it open.

House instinctively relaxed as he watched the man disappear back through the office, his dislike for the doctor growing with each step. Chase was a pretty boy who liked talking about his feelings and while sometimes opposite personalities attracted, in their case it had prevented a substantial friendship from even forming.

Waiting until he was sure Chase had completely vacated the area, he scrubbed a hand across his face, moving back inside himself.

The temperature was significantly warmer and he shivered in response, dropping down on the couch. The news that Cameron was now stable had absorbed most of the adrenaline rushing through his body leaving him feeling exhausted and while a part of him would've liked to confirm the fact she really was doing okay, he couldn't bring himself to engage in the effort.

Sleep would have to come first.

Lowering his head to the arm rest he closed his eyes, reluctantly succumbing to the demand.


	10. If It Wasn't White Noise

House lent against the wall, keeping a silent vigil over Cameron's dimly lit room.

It was late and everyone had gone home save for a few of the late night nursing staff, so there was no chance of any one commenting on his strange behavior. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself, even opting for clinic duty much to Cuddy's shock, he couldn't shake the conversation with Chase that still lingered in his mind. The man was an idiot but unfortunately _partially_ right; Cameron did see something in him, he just didn't know what it was.

He'd asked her once, a few years ago, why she liked him but the answer was just as evasive now as it had been all those years ago.

Easing the weight off his bad leg, he glanced at his watch. Two hours had passed and he was starting to get restless, there was only so much 'coma watching' he could take and while he didn't mind the chance to unwind, he was still expected to turn up at work tomorrow not sleep through the entire day.

Clutching his cane tightly a soft moan halted his movements and his gaze snapped to the bed. They'd been expecting Cameron to wake up anytime now, her vitals had improved and physically she was doing well but until now she hadn't given any indication of coming out from the coma.

"_Cameron_?" He lowered himself to the seat beside her bed, curling his fingers around hers, "If you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

After a tense moment he felt the soft pressure and let out the breathe he'd been subconsciously holding, "Good girl, now how about opening those eyes?" He winced at the gentle tone that found it's way out of his mouth before quietly shrugging it off. The chances of her even remembering it once she woke up were slim anyway.

'_House_?'

His name rasped out of her lips, barely audible, and he reached for the glass of water beside the bed. Holding it firmly with his free hand, he waited until her eyes opened fully before bringing the glass to her mouth.

"_Easy_..." He let her take a few sips before returning the water to it's previous position, "How are you feeling?"

Cameron blinked, slowly absorbing the question.

Fuzzy was the first word that came to mind to describe exactly how she felt. Her body ached, she was extremely tired and sore but confusion was definitely the most prominent feeling. Resting her head back against the pillows, she coughed slightly trying to clear the scratchiness in her throat. "_What happened_?"

Realizing he still had hold of her hand, House chose to ignore the fact she'd avoided his question and let go, running his fingers along his thigh. "You made a new eight legged friend who said hello by sinking his fangs in."

Cameron frowned trying to make sense of the words. "I was bitten by a spider?"

"Either that or you injected his venom into your foot." He raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the situation. "I'm really hoping you didn't do that, kind of a hard fetish to explain."

Her mind started reeling, taking in all the new information. She knew she'd had the flu but a spider bite seemed unlikely, especially since she couldn't remember being bitten in the first place. Glancing down at her her leg she tested it's movement, wincing as pain shot up her right side.

"Yeah, you probably don't want to do that." House gestured with his hand over the area. "It's going to be sore for a couple of days. You could get a cane, then we could match." He pointed to the wooden aid and Cameron suppressed a small smile, slightly intruiged.

Something seemed different about him.

Her forehead creased trying to work out exactly what it was but she couldn't place the feeling and deliberately lead her mind back to an easier topic. "I went in to anaphylactic shock? I'm not allergic."

"Didn't need to be." He offered, relieved that he was dealing with another doctor and and not a patient. "The venom attacked your immune system which was down because of the flu. If you hadn't been sick, you would've been fine."

There wasn't one sarcastic quip in the explanation and Cameron caught his gaze with widening curiosity. Obviously her condition had been serious enough to warrant him worrying but while the thought of asking scared her, she needed to know how close it had been. "How bad?"

House closed his fingers over the top of his cane, twisting it awkwardly. He rarely backed himself into an awkward silence, usually shattering it with a smart remark, but once again he held his tongue reaviling the answer.

Cameron swallowed, deciding not to push the matter. "At least tell me Foreman wasn't the one to figure it out?"

"Hardly," He puffed out a breath, "That man can't even find his socks in the morning!'

Cameron chuckled slightly, knowing it wasn't true. House's team was good, if not the best and she felt a little more at ease knowing they would've worked tirelessly to find out what was wrong with her. "So I take it I have you to thank then?"

"Don't worry," He shrugged his shoulders casually, "I'll deduct it from your pay."

"_You_don't pay me anymore." She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he'd forgotten the fact that she no longer worked for him but his next words caught her off guard.

"That could change."

A second of silence passed and then he coughed, not allowing her time to question the offer. Truthfully, he'd make room for her on his team in a heartbeat but there was no way he'd ever make her privy to that information. If she wanted to come back, she'd have to ask.

"You should get some rest, do those bags under your eyes a favor."

Cameron smirked as he pushed on his cane and stood up. Whether he was serious or not about her returning, she was exhausted and could question him about it later. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep.

"Night House."

He paused by the door, turning back to see her eyes already half closed. Feeling as if he out to give some sort of response he let a standard, '_Sure_, whatever' roll off his tongue, before leaving.


	11. If Foresight Was Twenty Tweny

House glanced up, dropping his PSP on the desk as Cameron limped awkwardly into his office. His eyes fell on her crutches and she smiled, letting the door swing shut behind her. "Sorry, metal beats wood."

He smirked folding his arms across his chest, "Yeah well, paper beats rock but I know which one I'd chose in a fight."

Cameron raised an eyebrow before moving with surprising ease across the floor, lowering herself in the chair opposite him. "Cuddy's looking for you. Your overdue twenty minutes for clinic duty."

"_Damn,_" he reached for his cane, swiping his PSP back up off the table, "means I need to find somewhere to hide."

"I can do one better..."

A smile tugged at her lips and House hesitated, shooting her a look. "I'm listening."

Cameron resisted the urge to roll her eyes wondering if he avoided clinic duty because he really despised the job or if it had more to do with the fact he enjoyed irritating their boss. "I told Cuddy I need you to drive me home. Chase was meant to do it but he got called into surgery."

"Do I really have to drive you?" House questioned, wondering if it was just an excuse or if he had to make some sort of effort. There was a big difference between sitting in pediatrics with his PSP pretending to help out and _actually_ helping out.

"Unless you want me to hang around here all day?" She threatened knowing which alternative he'd prefer, "I'm feeling awfully chatty after being in a coma and all."

He pulled a disapproving face before extending his hand and she smiled smugly handing over her keys, "Why thanks, how kind of you to offer."

House ignored the comment, shoving them in his pocket and limping towards the door. Cameron didn't miss a beat grabbing her crutches and catching up to him with ease.

It was a relatively quiet journey, despite various staff stopping to ask how she was doing, but even with the disruptions she managed to keep the pace and as they reached her car, House couldn't help but comment on the fact. "You seemed to have picked those up pretty quickly. Cheerleading accident?"

She scoffed as he unlocked the door, throwing her crutches over the backseat. "I dislocated my knee in high school."

"Netball?" He climbed in, hoping there was some sort of spandex involved and her face turned bright red revealing the answer. Smiling, he waited for her to fasten her seat belt before turning on the ignition and backing out of the parking space.

Cameron sunk down lower in her seat knowing he was imagining the outfit and stared out the window, changing the subject. "What you said the other day in my room, did you mean it?"

The question had the desired effect, wiping the smile right off his face and he sighed, the vision of short skirts blanking from his mind. He'd been hoping she wouldn't remember his slip, that maybe she'd been too out of it but clearly that wasn't the case.

Navigating through the exit of the car park, he attempted to throw her with a sarcastic retort, "Not at all. I'm sure Foreman's going to grow up to be a fine doctor, socks or not."

She turned back to him unsure whether or not to push the conversation but eventually curiosity got the better of her. Resting her elbow against the side of the window, she slipped her fingers through her hair, watching him carefully. "I meant that part about me coming back to work for you."

He was quiet for a moment contemplating the idea of actually giving her a serious answer. At the time it had been a fraudulent slip, a witty response he hadn't really thought about but if she was this interested then maybe they should discuss it. "Do you want to?"

Cameron tilted her head, surprised by his response, "Do _you_ want me to?"

Shifting the gears back, House felt her eyes burn into him as they slowed for the approaching set of lights. It may have been childish but he was determined not to be the first one to concede. "I asked first."

The car idled roughly and Cameron let out a sigh, realizing she wasn't going to get a straight answer. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."

The light flashed green and House stepped on the gas taking off. It wasn't what he wanted to hear and he refrained fromcommenting further causing an uncomfortable silence to settle between them, lasting right up until he parked the car outside her apartment block.

"Thanks for the lift." Cameron opened the door, more than a little surprised when he mimicked the movement. "You don't need to hang around,' she offered, unwilling to make the situation any more awkward, "I can manage."

He snorted, getting out and retrieving her crutches while she stood on the footpath, shaking her head, "Seriously, I'll be fine."

Moving around the back of the car, House threw a pointed look behind her, "I've been up and down those stairs enough times to know what a bitch they can be when you can't walk properly. Besides, if you fell down them I'd have to take you back to hospital and _then_ I'd have to go back to clinic duty."

She rolled her eyes accepting the crutches as he handed them over, "I can walk, it's really not that bad." She wasn't lying. The only reason she'd agreed to staying off her foot was so the wound wouldn't be aggravated, not because she was incapable of applying pressure to the area but House set his stance determinedly, refusing to back down.

"Humor me."

Cameron sighed, reluctantly turning around and starting up the first set of stairs. As predicted, she made the journey without faltering even managing to get her keys out and open the door.

"_Satisfied_?" She asked, sounding confident but the words were spoken prematurely becuase a second later the foot of her crutch caught against the skirting board and she lost her balance, falling back into him.

House's arm shot out, catching her around the waist as the metal clanged to the ground and she turned placing her hand against his chest to steady herself. His heart was beating unusually fast beneath her finger tips and she risked glancing up at his face, caught off guard by the fierce intensity of his gaze.

For a moment neither of them moved and then before she could fully comprehend the advance his mouth was hungrily devouring her own, drawing the strength out of her knees. Instinctively she clasped his shirt tigher and he pulled her body closer in response causing a moan to escape her lips. She needed him _now_ and she could tell by his hardness he felt the same way.

Pulling them backwards the small pain in her foot was forgotten as the desperate need to get him inside took precedence and House slammed the door shut using his free hand to claw at her hip.

It was overwhelming.

The need to be as close to her as humanly possible was suffocating but he couldn't get enough and somehow managed to stay firmly attached as they stumbled backwards through the lounge oblivious to the obstacles in their path. The chair, the coffee table, the bookcase, were all pushed aside as he pressed her hard against the wall.

Cameron groaned as he dropped kisses along her neck, bringing her leg up to secure him in place and his hand shot out to steady himself, realizing he wouldn't be able to support her weight for much longer.

"_Bedroom_."

His voice was raw, filled with lust and Cameron nodded releasing him from her hold but before she could move his fingers slipped under her shirt keeping her firmly in place. His other hand skillfully undid the buttons and her breath caught as he nipped her collarbone, pulling the blouse free from her shoulders.

"_House_." She pleaded, knowing if he didn't stop now they'd never make the rest of the distance to her room. Without breaking contact, he managed to keep his mouth firmly attached to her neck as he pulled them back through the apartment.

Reaching the bed, he switched their positions so she landed flat against the mattress and he hovered over her, removing his jacket. Cameron ran her fingers along his chest helping to take of his shirt before travelling back down to his belt.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she entertained the idea that they were moving too fast or in the very least that what they were doing was wrong but she couldn't maintain the thought as he pushed her hands away, taking control.

"_House_…"

The name died on her lips as slowly removed the last few pieces of clothing separating them, trailing kisses along the inside of her thigh and she reached out, closing her fists around the sheet as her body arched towards him. Feeling his own strain, he could no longer resist the invitation and he slid inside her rocking them into oblivion.

After taking a moment to compose himself, he withdrew, collapsing breathlessly beside her, "That was-" He swallowed dryly, the realization of what they'd just done fully sinking it. "That was a mistake."

Cameron flinched, pulling the sheet over herself to try and maintain some sort of dignity as he forced himself up.

Part of her want to challenge him, get him to finally admit that he felt something but there was another part of her that was terrified by what his response would be. Calling it a mistake was bad enough she didn't need it thrown further back in her face.

Fastening his belt House reached for his t-shirt, hesitating as he caught Cameron's gaze.

He wanted to say something, _anything_ that wasn't an insult or at least explain that he needed time to work out why they'd just had sex.. but the words didn't come. Instead he remained silent pulling the shirt over his head. He was confused, scared by the fact that it hadn't felt as wrong as he imagined it would be, and he grasped his jacket feeling the need to put as much distance between them as possible.

A vibrant contrast to the position they been locked in only moments ago.

Squashing the wave of guilt that rose up as he limped towards the door, House didn't bother looking back as he closed it firmly behind him.

* * *

**AN: Just want to say thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!! Also I deliberately wanted the sex to be quick (so it appeared spontanious) but had trouble keeping it from feeling rushed. Hopefully I achieved an okay balance... :)**


	12. If It Looks Broken

House barged into Wilson's office, rubbing the side of his temple as he hovered awkwardly by the desk. He'd been questioning the wisdom in seeking out his friends advice but despite his hesitation, his feet remained routed firmly to the ground.

Wilson, who was reading the morning paper, kept his gaze solely on page three as he responded to the subtle cue, "Did you want something?"

"I slept with Cameron."

His choice of words were blunt, straight to the point and Wilson's head shot up wondering if he'd heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

"I _slept_, as in _had_ _sex_ with Cameron. Is that clear enough or would you like a diagram?"

House reached for the pad of paper on the desk but Wilson was quicker, snatching it out of his grasp. "I don't need a diagram!" He flustered, only imagining how House would depict the action. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Cause usually you jump at the chance to interfere in my personal life-" He hesitated, motioning towards the article still in Wilson's free hand, "But I can see you're busy so never mind."

"_Wait_." Wilson let out a sigh, ignoring the smirk that appeared on House's face as he pointed to the chair opposite his desk, "What happened, and I don't mean literally."

House watched him fold the paper neatly before lowering himself into the vacant seat."I drove her home, she tripped, I caught her and then we had sex." A wrinkle appeared in his forehead at the short recount. For some reason it had all sounded a lot more complicated in his head.

"And then?" Wilson pushed, now fully interested in the story. It wasn't often House came to him openly talking about his personal encounters and he lent back, hoping the end of the story would contain more insight into the surprising confession.

"And then,' House tried not to wince as he recalled the exact words, "I told her it was a mistake and left."

A brief look of disappointment crossed his features and Wilson wondered if he regretted sleeping with Cameron or just the fact he'd run away afterwards. "Was it a mistake?"

"Of _course _it was!" House huffed, fiddling with the end of his cane. "You know what she's like, probably already set the wedding date."

"I highly doubt that." Wilson watched him carefully trying to decide which approach to take next. Clearly House had come to use him as a sounding board and while he didn't mind providing a little insight, he knew to tread lightly. "Have you talked to her?"

House lowered his head indicating no and Wilson raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to?"

'And say what," House quickly admonished the idea,"thanks I didn't need to call in a hooker for the night? Somehow I don't think that would go down so well."

Despite the serious overtones of the conversation a small smile tugged at Wilson's lips. "I wouldn't say _that_ exactly, but you can't avoid her forever. Are you sure-" He stopped, trying to decide if it was worth asking the question but House's piercing gaze convinced him to continue. "Are you sure this isn't something you want? I mean given recent events, maybe it's your subconscious trying to tell you something?"

'Hardly.' House snorted, throwing his head back. It was just sex. It had nothing to do with the fact that she'd nearly died... or so he kept telling himself. In truth, he was glad it had happened even though he hated himself for being unable to suppress the urge to do it again.

Over and over again.

'_House?_' Wilson knew that look. It was the one that suggested there was more going on inside House's head than he was willing to let on and surprisingly the man actually offered up the information voluntarily.

"Okay, so I'm not repulsed by the idea of it happening again," His fingers caught the side of his temple rubbing it gently, "But it's _not_ going to."

"Why? You're both adults." Wilson doubted very much Cameron would go for the idea of casual sex but he was trying to goad a reaction from House and it worked. A brief flash of longing crossed his features, barely distinguishable, but it was enough for Wilson to push him further, "You think you're the one that would get emotionally attached.''

"That's ridiculous!" House snapped at the suggestion but his strong response didn't convince either of them.

"You know, just once you could consider the possibility that a relationship mightn't be such a bad idea." Wilson suggested lightly, "You liked her enough to agree to a date and now you've slept together... shouldn't that tell you something?"

House shook his head adamantly. "She forced me into going on a date and look how well that turned out. As for the sex, like I said it was a mistake."

"Okay, fine." Wilson threw his hands up submitting to defeat. If logic and reason weren't enough to convince him, then maybe a bit of reverse psychology would work in his favour. "If you want to pretend it didn't happen then ignore her, I bet she's hell bent on doing the same thing anyway. "

"Are you kidding?" House raised his cane, sounding overly cocky as he tapped it repeatedly on the edge of the desk. "She's probably already filled my office with candy hearts and balloons."

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Wilson returned his attention back to the paper, flipping it open and finding the page he was up to. From the corner of his eye he could see House was annoyed by the action but that only made his disire to appear less interested in the conversation stronger. "You told her it was a mistake, if she's in your office she's probably torching the place."

House's confidence wavered slightly considering the possibility but he refused to let it show, "Cameron's incapable of hating anyone. Foreman tried to kill her and she forgave him."

"Everybody has their breaking point and while she's incredibly tolerant, she is only human." Wilson turned to the next page driving home his point, "If anyone could crush her, it's you."

The words sent an unintentional shiver down House's spine and his gaze shifted, staring at a blank space on the wall as his mind closed around the fact Wilson could be right. Destroying people was a talent and while usually he didn't care, laying blame solely on other people for becoming involved with him in the first place, this time was different. He told Cameron he wouldn't crush her and it was more than just an off handed comment.

He had a soft spot for her.

Even back then when everything she did annoyed him beyond recognition, he was drawn to the fact that she was his complete contrast. It fascinated him. She was the exception to the rule in every assumption he had about the human condition and while he was determined to push her, force the world onto her in a new light, it was only because he wanted to see how she'd respond.

Breaking her was never his intention and that in itself was an anomaly.

Disturbed by the silence, Wilson glanced up surprised to find House deep in thought and cleared his throat, "Decided what you're going to do yet?"

Pushing on his cane, House stood up throwing an unamused glare towards the man, "Yeah. I'm going to stop taking your advice."

Wilson watched him turn and limp across the room, swallowing the words that lodged in his throat as the door slammed closed. Even though he'd kept his outward appearance cool, inside he was stunned by the turn of events. House rarely made mistakes. He was too calculated and methodical in his actions to have an impulsive one night stand with someone he knew which meant sleeping with Cameron wasn't just a lapse of judgment. Some part of him had to of acknowledged the consequences and deemed them worthwhile.

Casting his gaze back down to the paper, Wilson had to admit it was certainly interesting but what intruiged him the most, was how House was going to proceed next.


End file.
